


Before Sunrise

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Beers, Comfort, Coulson likes to say her name, Coulson loves Skye, Coulson misses Skye, Eating, F/M, Fluff, Fluff Nonsense, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Secrets, Skye loves Coulson, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 03:30:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2333645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toothache fluffy Skoulson nonsense based on Season 2 feels.  And yes, I borrowed the title from that film.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before Sunrise

"Someone always having my back."

She was standing behind his desk when he entered, holding the small collectible.

Lola was out of her case, the metal replica fitting in the palm of Skye's hand.

He stood just inside the door a few more minutes in silence, knowing that she was aware of his presence.

Something inside of him froze, afraid to get any closer.

"That's what I'm trying to do from here," he finally said, softly.

"You _are_ ," she stated, staring up,  with a raise of her eyebrows and a tilt of her head. She put Lola back into her case, replaced the protective glass.

"From behind a desk now. But, yes," he said. "And some things _have_ changed."

"I know," she said, walking around from behind his desk. "And if I'd known you were planning to become a hermit, I might have taken a hammer to that little black box."

"Some of my duties require me to be...elsewhere at times."

"Of course," she smiled, then her face fell. "Still keeping secrets."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly.

"Don't make that face," she said. "It's not my favorite face."

She began to walk past him quickly for the door when she felt his hand at her elbow.

"I owe you an explanation," he said.

Pulling her arm away she crossed them against her chest.

"I'm all ears."

"I don't have an explanation for you right now," he said, after a pause, letting out a breath he was holding.

"Unbelievable," she said, shaking her head, trying to keep a frown on while a smirk drew itself across his face.

She did like the familiar glint in his eyes, though.

"Dinner, then," she said. "You owe me dinner, with..."

He frowned, cutting her off quickly. "That's not appropriate."

"... _The team_. In the commissary, _sir_ ," she continued, leaning forward. "Easy, tiger."

" _Skye_."

"Fraternization is good for morale. Your team would like to see your face."

She took a small step closer to him.

" _I_ would like to see your face."

"About time you made it back," Koenig said, plowing through the door and into the office.

"Skye, May said she needs you," he said, inserting himself into their space. "Something about a bet. She said, tell her that I know she wouldn't cheat."

Skye grinned, "Gotta go."

Coulson followed her with his eyes as she walked out the door.

"Sir," Koenig said. "About our 'other facility'..."

"Don't use quote hands, Koenig. We talked about that."

"Sorry, sir," Koenig said, lowering his arms.

*****

Skye was sitting on the edge of the chair, the leg tipped at an angle, balancing while she read one of the old SSR field manuals she'd found lying around.

There was a bowl of cereal sitting on the table in front of her, which remained untouched.

It was late, and the commissary was empty. She'd had a long day and was taking a break from looking at code, just wanting to unwind in silence.

The door clicked, and Skye steeled herself for human interaction, probably sleepless Koenig making the rounds or one of the mercs.

Having all of these strangers around reminded her too much of her past. People coming and going out of her life, not knowing what was hiding behind their eager, smiling faces. Minus the smiling faces, in this situation.

It was like foster care on a buccaneer ship.

She watched as Coulson came into the room, rubbing his face, a tired expression, and stopped once he realized he wasn't alone.

Skye just smiled back at him quietly from behind her book.

"A little late for reading," he said, continuing in her direction, stopping to cock his head and read the cover of her book.

"Heavy, reading," he added, then headed for the fridge.

She turned when she heard him muttering to himself, expression lit by the open door.

"What the hell? That was my Korean barbeque. Mine. I wrote my name on it."

He slammed the door, glanced over at her smiling at him.

"Mercs," she said unapologetically.

"I was really looking forward to that," he said, walking over by her to glance in her bowl.

"What, you thought _I_ took your barbeque?" she laughed. "How dare you."

She closed the book when it was clear he wasn't going away.

"And you are up this late, _because_...?" she continued.

"Just, not ready to fall asleep yet," he said.

It was obvious to her it was an evasion. He had been restless lately. May had hinted that he was having a hard time adjusting and well, she had seen the evidence for herself.

"You...want to go out? Get some food?"

"At 11 o'clock at night?" she asked, but she was already getting up out of her chair.

"Live a little."

"You're buying," she said, grabbing her bowl and taking it to the sink.

"Keep in down," he warned, when the silverware clattered against the bowl. "We have to be sneaky."

"Gotcha," she nodded.

  
****

"I admire your tenacity," she said, picking out a piece of meat with the chopsticks.

"I wanted Korean barbeque."

"Lucky for you, we can hit downtown D.C. and find a food truck open at midnight."

"Well, it is Friday night. This is what people do on Fridays, right?"

"Sure, when you're 22."

"Says who?" he asked with a shrug.

Skye leaned forward and looked at the line for the food truck, filled with 20-something hipsters.

"Everyone except you and that one guy over there who...maybe isn't here for the food. Ew."

"Thanks. You're saying I'm old."

"I would never suggest you're old. I quite like your age."

That got a sideways smile out of him, and he looked back down at his food, she thought, rather shyly.

It was weird being so companionable with him like this, it felt like their days back on the Bus, after a really weird mission, for some reason.

Now it was all just really weird, but not as fun.

"Besides, I'm sure you were insufferable when you were 22," she added picking at a carrot.

He chuckled, setting his jaw a little.

"I was cocky. Really poor taste in jeans," he conceded, finishing off his beer.

"Was?" she said, and laughed at the idea of a younger Coulson in bad 80s jeans. "There are like, websites dedicated to those jeans, you know."

"No, I don't."

Skye took a sip of her beer.

"This kinda seems like old times," she said wistfully.

"What we're doing right now isn't very smart," he replied, wiping his hands off.

She picked up her tray and handed it over to him as he tossed their food out.

"So, how many times have you done 'not very smart'?"

He stared back at her, his face wearing that impassive mask again. Just another one of his secrets he didn't like getting out.

"Let me take a guess," she said, wiping a napkin across her mouth. "Your fifth?"

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"What?"

"Just...know."

"I'm a quick learner, and a careful study," she said, staring back at him.

"Do you want to have the best donut you've ever had in your life?"

"Sure."

****

"The symbols I've been sending to you, to codebreak. They're not Garrett's. They're mine."

"What? When were you going to tell me this?"

"Now."

She stood up from the park bench and tossed the donut down into the box, started walking away.

He ran his hands over his face, waited until she had gone too far and then took off after her.

"Just stop. Let's talk about it. Please."

Halting in her tracks, she spun around on him.

"That stuff is in my veins, too," she said angrily, finger pointed at herself.

"I know," he said. "But, it's not effecting you the way it is me," he said. "You didn't undergo the same process."

"Wait. Is that why you hid it from me, because you're afraid I'll see you like that?"

He held his hands up. "I might be dangerous. I know all about the project, I know what it does."

"Are you serious?" she said, shoving his chest, pushing him backwards. "When you were under that machine, when you were losing it, I was right there. I was beside you. What happened to having each other's back?"

"Your face," he started. "When you said you heard what I was saying...if you could've just seen your face..."

She went to shove him again, this time he didn't budge.

"Stop," he said, raising his voice. He grabbed her arms when she went to shove him again.

"Why do you think I lied to you about it?" he said, eyes roving over her face. "I can't do that to you. I..."

The words caught in his chest.

"Oh, god, please don't say something stupid right now," she said.

He let go of her arms as she walked away back towards the rental car.

****

"I'm sorry I lost my cool at you."

"I had it coming," he said quietly, hands tightening on the wheel.

"I just want to help."

"I know."

"And you know about me and secrets. You _know_ that about me. That's like, ugh!" she threw her hands in the air.

He sighed.

Skye took a deep breath.

"You are keeping _tons_ of secrets, aren't you?"

"That little black box."

"Okay, then."

"I should have told you about the GH-325, about TAHITI. About me."

"You have."

"And you can understand why no one else can know about it?"

"May knows, doesn't she?"

"May knows because if I _do_ lose it, it's her job to..."

"Just...stop," she said cutting him off. "That's _not_ happening," she said. "You know that, right?"

She was staring at him, waiting for him to agree.

"I've missed you," he said, his soft, fond expression made him look even more tired.

"Thanks. Now, look at me and tell me. _Say it._ 'I know that's not happening.'"

"I know that's not happening," he repeated.

"Again."

He huffed and gave her a dubious look.

"You're not convincing me, at all. I need to be convinced."

"I know that's not happening, _Skye_."

He watched her put her hand over her mouth, and turn her head silently.

"I'll pull over."

****

"It's 4 am," he said, craning his neck to look at the dash.

"When's the last time you pulled an all-nighter?"

"Last week," he replied sarcastically.

"Sorry," she said, patting the front of his shirt.

Skye was nestled against his shoulder, they were in the backseat of the rental, one of his arms was wrapped around her, his jacket draped over her shoulders, and a wet patch on the front of his shirt.

"I kind of lost it," she said.

"It's okay," he replied. "It's part of it. Part of this. I had no right to shut it out."

"We're going to figure this out," she said.

"I know," he said, running his hand over her hair. "That's why I put you on it."

Her hand was fumbling with his tie.

"This tie is...really aggressive," she said.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's just kind of screaming at me, those stripes, I dunno."

"I'll get another tie," he sighed.

"It's not 80s jeans, bad, mind you."

"You're obviously feeling better," he said.

"This is...nice. Just having this moment. I feel...safe."

"Me too."

"I should probably give you this back," she said, suddenly sitting up and shrugging his jacket off her shoulders.

"This has been... _a night_ ," he said, taking it from her and getting out of the back door.

Skye pulled herself together, wiping at her face when her door opened and she saw a hand offering to pull her out.

She took it, letting him draw her up out of the seat onto the sidewalk.

"You okay?" he asked, letting go of her hand to pull his jacket back on.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, twisting her hands together in front of her. "You?"

Standing there under the yellow street light, she watched him consider something.

"Should we watch the sun come up," he said. "Since we're still awake?"

"Why not?" 

He smiled and took his jacket off again, draping it back over her shoulders.

"There's a bench up on 13th," he said.

****

He looked down at his watch.

"There's another 30 minutes, do you think you can last?"

"I have a question for you," she said, yawning. "Have you ever had this kind of experience turn out the way you wanted, without copious amounts of alcohol involved?"

"I've given you my jacket," he said. "What more do you want?"

"Dangerous question."

"I take it back, then."

"Is there any other kind at...?"

"6:22 a.m."

"Let's run away," she announced, leaning her head against her hand.

"Huh?"

"You're half delirious anyway, I can see it in your eyes. You were singing Ramones lyrics ten minutes ago."

"I was just trying to keep you awake."

As she laughed, the silliest expression came over his face.

"Where would we go?" he grinned.

"On the lam," she said, stretching out against the bench. "Break up HYDRA cells, investigate crazy stuff, call in some Asgardian favors," she added, wiggling her eyebrows, then peeking at him from behind her arm. "We can be consultants. You do your charm school hero bit, and I'll run the exploit, design the ops. I mean, we're _basically_ Avengers lite."

He watched her wriggle her toes, her shoes thrown off to the side an hour ago.

"I was hoping for something less stressful. 'Charm school'?"

"Yeah," she said, pulling at his tie. "You can sell it."

"I'm Captain America, though, right?" he said, sliding his arm along the back of the bench.

"Sure," she chuckled, staring back at him over her shoulder.

"Who are you, then?"

"Skye," she answered, with a determined look, laughing.

"Fair enough, _Skye_."

He stopped just short, hesitating, making sure that this was what she wanted, what they both wanted, and then she closed the gap between them, kissing him slowly, her hand sliding over his back to caress his neck, breathing him in.

Their lips parted and then came back together a few more times, him pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"This was why you brought me up here," she said, letting her head tip back.

"One of many possibilities. All for the same reason."

"What you were trying to tell me earlier, in the park," she said, touching his face. "Before I walked away?"

"Yeah."

"And can you say it now?" she said, looking over his face, tracing the crinkles at the corner of his eye.

"I love you, Skye."

They kissed until the sun came up.

 


End file.
